Lakewood secret garden of Vern Halcomb and Bob Kongsli

Step behind the privacy fence of this Lakewood home, through the 18th-century Spanish doors which serve as a gate, and you step into a secret garden.

• Photo gallery: Inside a secret garden

The plants – hydrangea, Japanese maple, water iris, hosta – sprout from raised beds, pots and along the edges of a centerpiece pond. But the greenery in this garden takes second billing to the real stars of the show: sculptures and art objects gathered from around the world.

The plants form a lush green background for pieces from the collection of Vern Halcomb and Bob Kongsli, who have been partners in life and in business for more than 50 years.

Both are retired art and antique dealers who lived for many years in Europe before returning to the South Sound, where Kongsli grew up. Health problems brought them back to the United States.

They have been steadily downsizing their homes, from a French chateau to an American Lake mansion and, four years ago, to a Lakewood rambler that they remodeled in the style of an Alpine cottage.

Time spent living in both Switzerland and in the Alsace-Lorraine region of France, along the German border, provided inspiration for their current home. It features rough-hewn cedar siding and decorative trim along the eaves crafted by local woodcarver Robert Davis. The garden, too, has a rustic look, and the placement of the sculpture seems, in some cases, random and in others, whimsical.

“I wanted it to have some style,” says Halcomb, “but not too formal. I don’t like stuff to look too contrived.”

When they started in the antiques business, both men were in their 20s. It was just after World War II, and art and antique bargains were easy to find in a devastated Europe where families were eager to sell off treasures to earn needed money.

“When we started in the business, we were young,” recalls Halcomb. “Sometimes it was hard for people to take us seriously. But eventually many of our customers became good friends.”

Although they’re officially retired now, Halcomb and Kongsli still dabble in the business of buying and selling objects of beauty.

“Trying to stop an antique dealer from selling something is like stopping feeding him,” says Kongsli.

Much of their art collection is in storage. Some pieces – including an 18-foot-high, 6,500 pound bronze copy of Michelangelo’s “David” – have been sold. But Halcomb and Kongsli have found just the right home for many of their sculptures – and the memories they evoke.

Debbie Cafazzo: 253-597-8635

Secret of garden success lies in multiseason plants, shrubs

Every garden should include plant chameleons, whose changing colors enliven the landscape for more than one season.

Captivating shrub Many varieties of pieris japonica, the lily-of-the-valley shrub, have new growth that is pinkish to red. But Flaming Silver puts on a show from spring to fall. Its mature foliage is dark green edged in cream, but the new spring growth starts out bright red, fades to pink, then turns creamy yellow through the summer as it ages to a light green variegation. A second flush of red growth may occur in fall.

Head-turning heathers Some heathers provide changing color with more than flowers. The foliage of Robert Chapman is golden in summer, orange in fall, then red in winter and spring. Winter Chocolate has pink-tipped golden foliage in summer that changes to bronze in winter; the new spring foliage is salmon pink. Both have lavender flowers from August to October.

Lively conifers Many conifers put on a colorful show during the year. Cryptomeria japonica Mushroom is a mounding Japanese cedar with green foliage that turns purplish or russet in winter.

Donard Gold is a narrow, upright cypress (cupressus macrocarpa) with chartreuse new growth that vividly contrasts with its lemon-yellow mature foliage. Rainbow’s End spruce (picea glauca) produces a flush of creamy yellow growth against its dark-green older foliage in midsummer.

Blushing bergenia Bergenia cordifolia has large, leathery evergreen leaves that grow in low clumps; in spring, it bears small flowers on taller stalks. Some varieties have foliage that changes color in fall or winter. Winterglut (or Winter Glow) has bright red flowers and leaves that turn reddish bronze in cool weather. Abendglocken (Evening Bells) is a hybrid with hot pink flowers and leaves that become purplish in winter.

Blazing grasses Beni Kaze – the name means “red wind” – is a Japanese forest grass (hakonechloa macra) with bright green foliage through the summer, but taking on shades of red in fall. The blades of “Red Baron” Japanese blood grass (imperata cylindrica) emerge green with red tips; as the season progresses, the red extends further down the blades, becoming more intense before turning coppery brown in winter. Jean Parietti is a Federal Way freelance writer. E-mail her at southsoundgarden@aol.com">southsoundgarden@aol.com.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON 9/13/08